8. STEADMAN² JOHNSTON (LEWIS¹) (#606) was born in North Carolina, March 31, 1808. STEADMAN died May 5, 1890 in Bryant, Saline County, Arkansas, at 82 years of age. His body was interred in Bryant Cemetery in Bryant, Arkansas in an unmarked grave.

He married twice. He married UNITY BURKES in Newton County, Georgia, January 18, 1830. (UNITY BURKES is #814.) UNITY was born in Georgia in 1809. UNITY died in 1863 in Arkansas, at 54 years of age. She is buried in an unknown location in Arkansas.

He married MRS. ERMELINE  SMITH probably in Owen Township, Saline County, Arkansas, about 1866. (MRS. ERMELINE  SMITH is #1896.) ERMELINE was born in Tennessee on November 7,  1837.  She died in Saline County on January 7, 1902 and is buried in Bryant Cemetery, Bryant, Arkansas. .

Note:  Steadman Johnston's obituary was published in the "Arkansas Methodist" newspaper on May 28, 1890. Among other things, it states that he was, "...born in North Carolina on March 31, 1808, reared in South Carolina, moved to Georgia, then to Mississippi, afterward to Arkansas in 1855." We have documented that he, with his brothers, had moved to Georgia in the 1820's, had married in Newton County, Georgia in 1830, and have located him in Lafayette County, Mississippi in the 1850 census, obviously having joined his brother, Perry G., there sometime between 1846 and 1848. That 1850 census reflects that Steadman (spelled "Stidman") was born in South Carolina. However, it shows that Perry Green, born 2 years after Steadman, was born in North Carolina like the rest of the family. Every other census report on which we have found Steadman, 1830 through 1880, shows Steadman to have been born in North Carolina. I seriously doubt that there is any substance to the reference to South Carolina.

Note 2: Another interesting tidbit from that 1850 census is that a 4 year old son, James H. (it might be James F.), one of the 10 children that Steadman and Unity have at the time, was born in Alabama. I assume that they must have stayed for a while with brother Lindsey, on their way to Mississippi. Lindsey was living in Chambers County, Alabama, at the time. It also lists their 17 year old daughter, Nancy, as Nancy Browning, and a 10 month old girl that is evidently her daughter. However, there is no Mr. Browning listed in the household.

Note 3: The 1860 census shows Steadman (listed as Sidman Johnston, this time) and Unity to be located in Jefferson County, Arkansas, and there are 2 new children, 8 year old girls, Parmelia and Lucinda. By the way, both Jefferson and Saline Counties are adjacent to Pulaski County, and near Little Rock. I could find no evidence that they ever actually lived in Pulaski County, like we had previously thought.

Note 4: The obituary for Steadman did confirm that Unity died in 1863, "Was first married to Miss Burkes, whom he survived after 33 years of conjugal association." (They were married in 1830.) Later, in 1865 or 1866, Steadman married a 28 or 29 year old widow, Mrs. Ermaline Smith, who had a daughter by her previous marriage. (Ermaline's maiden name is not known by me). Steadman and Ermaline had at least two sons and two daughters. The 1870 Census shows Steadman and Ermaline living in the Owen Township of Saline County.  At home with them are the 16 year old Lucinda Johnston, who is classified as "unemployed."

Note 5: The 1880 Census finds the 72 year old Steadman and the 42 year old Ermeline still in the Owen Township of Saline Co.  They have two new children, 7 yr. old Malinda, and 1 yr. old Julia.  The 13 yr. old David is still with them also.  Adams, who should be 10, is not.  Apparently this son died young, before the 1880 census.

STEADMAN JOHNSTON and UNITY BURKES had the following family:

29 i. JOHN L.³ JOHNSTON (#815) was born in Newton County, Georgia in 1831. 

30 ii. NANCY JOHNSTON (#1884) was born in Newton County, Georgia about 1833. She married a Mr.  BROWNING (#1889.)about 1849. 

31 iii. WILLIAM C. JOHNSTON (#1885) was born in Newton County, Georgia about 1835.

32 iv. ASBERRY B. JOHNSTON (#1886) was born in Newton County, Georgia about 1838.

33 v. SUSAN C. JOHNSTON (#1887) was born in Newton County, Georgia about 1840.

34 vi. MARY E. JOHNSTON (#1888) was born in Newton County, Georgia about 1842. 

35 vii. AMANDA C. JOHNSTON (#1890) was born in Newton County, Georgia about 1844.

36 viii. JAMES H. JOHNSTON (#1891) was born in Alabama about 1846.

37 ix.   MARTHA JOHNSTON (#1892) was born in Lafayette County, Mississippi about 1848.

38 x.   MARY AMELIA JOHNSTON (#1893) was born in Lafayette County, Mississippi in  1850.

39 xi.   PARMELIA JOHNSTON (twin of Lucinda) (#1894) was born in Lafayette County, Mississippi about 1852.

40 xii.  LUCINDA JOHNSTON (twin of Parmelia) (#1895) was born in Lafayette County, Mississippi about 1852.

STEADMAN JOHNSTON and MRS. ERMELINE  SMITH had the following family:

41 xiii. MARY SMITH (#1900) was born in Arkansas about 1859. She was Ermeline Smith's daughter by her first husband;  stepdaughter to Steadman.

42 xiv. DAVID M. JOHNSTON (#1898) was born in Saline County, Arkansas on April 7,  1867. David died on February 10, 1899 in Bryant, Arkansas.  He is buried in Bryant Cemetery, next to his mother in Bryant, Arkansas.

43 xv. ADAMS JOHNSTON (#1899) was born in Saline County, Arkansas in 1870.

44 xvi. MALINDA JOHNSTON (#1949) was born in Saline County, Arkansas in 1873.

45 xvii. JULIA JOHNSTON (#1950) was born in Saline County, Arkansas in 1879

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